Helen Elam “Baddie Winkle” Van Winkle, 1928 – 2025

Internet personality “Baddie Winkle,” 97, died on Sept. 4. Van Winkle had no social-media presence before 2014, so I cannot find a word about her actual life. But she became her generation’s Judith Lowry by posting “naughty/hip granny” memes and gaining literally millions of Twitter and Instagram fans (her social media tag was “Stealing Your Man Since 1928"). She also showed up in TV and print ads (a memorable Smirnoff campaign), and music videos (Fergie and others). Van Winkle told Cosmo in 2014, “I get recognized everywhere I go. On the street. Most of the time, college kids. I went to a frat party not too long ago. They were very nice, treated me with open arms, and I took thousands of pictures with everyone there. Oh, I just love young people. I’ve got young people around me all the time. They’re so smart. When I was their age, I was a dummy. I knew nothing. They know everything. It is because of the Internet and the TV and all those kinds of things. And kids get smarter every year.”